The Djelk Ranger Program: an Outsider's Perspective
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The Australian National University The Djelk Ranger Program: An Outsider’s Perspective M.J. Cochrane WORKING PAPER No. 27/2005 ISSN 1442-3871 ISBN 0 7315 4926 0 CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL ECONOMIC POLICY RESEARCH SERIES NOTE The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) was fi rst established in March 1990 under an agreement between The Australian National University (ANU) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). Since January 1999, CAEPR has operated as a University Centre and is funded from a variety of sources including the ANU, Australian Research Council, Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, and the Department of Family and Community Services. CAEPR’s principal objective is to undertake high-quality, independent research that will assist in furthering the social and economic development and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. CAEPR’s aim is to be a world-class centre undertaking research on Indigenous economic development issues that combines academic excellence with policy relevance and realism. In Australia, CAEPR is currently the only dedicated research centre focusing on Indigenous economic policy issues from a national perspective. The Centre’s publications aim to examine government policy, infl uence policy formulation, and inform public debate. The CAEPR Working Paper series was established in 1999. Working Papers are often work-in-progress reports and are produced for rapid distribution to enable widespread discussion and comment. They are available in electronic format only for free download from CAEPR’s website: <www.anu.edu.au/caepr/> Enquiries may be directed to: The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Hanna Neumann Building #21 The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Telephone 02–6125 8211 Facsimile 02–6125 9730 As with all CAEPR publications, the views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not refl ect any offi cial CAEPR position. Professor Jon Altman Director, CAEPR The Australian National University June 2005 Cover page images courtesy of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and CAEPR staff members. CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL ECONOMIC POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER N0. 27 i FOREWORD In May 2003 Michelle Cochrane visited the Maningrida area for ten days, to study the Djelk Ranger program that is operating as an arm of the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation (BAC). This research trip was organised in the context of joint research on cooperative wildlife management and sustainable development options on Aboriginal land that Michelle and I were undertaking at that time. It was also intended as a professional development opportunity for Michelle, who had not previously visited Arnhem Land. Michelle was able to collaborate with several different groups of Rangers to visit several sustainable wildlife harvesting trial sites. Publication of this report has been delayed a little, for not long after completing a draft Michelle moved to work on a secondment with the Aboriginal Rainforest Council in Cairns. Subsequently, Michelle resigned her post at CAEPR and is now working on a longer-term basis with the Aboriginal Rainforest Council. Importantly, while in Cairns, she has assisted in the development of the Wet Tropics Aboriginal Cultural and Natural Resource Management Plan released in April 2005. Michelle’s working paper presented here provides a snapshot of the Djelk Ranger Program at May 2003. While this is some two years ago, it is nevertheless an important record of the diversity of activity undertaken by the program. It should be noted that this research is part of long-term research that has been undertaken in the Maningrida region since 1979 and this particular report refl ects a period when CAEPR was collaborating actively with the then ARC Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management (KCTWM) at Charles Darwin University, Darwin. In particular, at the same time Michelle and I had co-authored CAEPR Discussion Paper No. 247 ‘Innovative institutional design for sustainable wildlife management in the Indigenous-owned savanna’, which argued for an approach to sustainable natural and cultural resource use based on Indigenous control. This Working Paper supplements that Discussion Paper and provides additional information on the actual activities undertaken by the Djelk community rangers. While some activities documented here are no longer undertaken (e.g. BAC Safaris proved to be fi nancially marginal and no longer operates) others have continued and expanded. Some updated information on the activities of the Djelk Ranger Program is contained in the annual report of the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation for the fi nancial year 2003–04. I commend this report to readers and would personally like to thank the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation and the Djelk Ranger Program for hosting Michelle and facilitating this research. I trust that this report will be a useful historical record of the program at one point in time as well as of value in policy discussions under the broad umbrella of the Northern Land Council’s Caring for Country Strategy. Professor Jon Altman Director, CAEPR June 2005 CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL ECONOMIC POLICY RESEARCH ii COCHRANE CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL ECONOMIC POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER N0. 27 iii CONTENTS Foreword ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... i Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................................................................... v Abbreviations...........................................................................................................................................................................................vi Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................................................1 The Djelk Ranger Program ................................................................................................................................................................2 Infrastructure........................................................................................................................................................................................4 Education and training .....................................................................................................................................................................4 Pay............................................................................................................................................................................................................5 External engagement .........................................................................................................................................................................6 Plant-related projects ............................................................................................................................................................................6 Weed management.............................................................................................................................................................................6 Sustainable plant harvest .................................................................................................................................................................7 Feral animal management....................................................................................................................................................................8 Fire management.....................................................................................................................................................................................9 Sustainable harvesting enterprises..................................................................................................................................................10 Turtle harvest and research............................................................................................................................................................10 Crocodile eggs ...................................................................................................................................................................................12 Goanna..................................................................................................................................................................................................12 Native fi sh............................................................................................................................................................................................12 Other wildlife harvesting possibilities.........................................................................................................................................12